Toggle switch



March 28, 1967 c. R. STEVENS TOGGLE SWITCH Filed Nov. 22, 1965 INVENTOR. EUR TIE H. STEVENS.

United States Patent TGGGLE SWITCH Curtis R. Stevens, La Mirada, Califi, assignor to Master Specialties Company, Gardena, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 508,975 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-68) The present invention relates to a new and improved toggle switch. More particularly, it relates to a toggle switch wherein pivotal movement of the exposed toggle lever, in a lateral direction, for example, produces snap actuation of a contact actuating member in directiona normal to the movement of the toggle lever.

An object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved toggle switch which has a positive snap actuation and in which the internal condition of the snap actuated contact can be sensed by the feel of the exposed toggle lever.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a switch embodying the present invention, with parts broken away, showing the switch contacts in open position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view with portions broken away, similar to FIG. 1', but showing the switch contacts in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, isometric view showing one end of an over-center spring with a spring cap aflixed thereto.

Although the switch operating mechanism of the present invention may be used to actuate any number of ganged microswitches, it is shown in the drawing in conjunction with two microswitches 10. The microswitches are conventional, small highly sensitive switches, in which a minute motion of an exposed operating button will cause internal contacts to move between their on and ofi positions.

A housing 12 comprising a generally rectangular box shaped structure having a closed end 14 is provided to receive the microswitches 10, with the microswitch inserted between the sidewalls of the box to close oil the bottom end of the housing 12. Switch buttons 16 project upwardly from the top of the microswitches 10, and are moved between their upper switch open positions and their lower switch closed positions by an actuating member 18 that is pivot-ally-supported at one side of the switch buttons 16 by laterally extending ears 2% which project through openings 22 in the housing 12. The actuating member 18 is constructed to abut the top surface of the switch 10 after it has moved the actuating buttons 16 to their lower, switch closing positions, as seen in FIGURE 2. Movement of the actuating member 18 away from the buttons 16 is stopped by abutment with an inwardly bent section 24 of the housing 12, as shown in FIGURE 1.

Movement of the actuating member 18 between its two extreme positions described above is produced by an over-center compression spring 26, the ends of which engage closure and spring-retaining caps 28. The cap 28 on one end of the spring 26 abuts a knife edge 30 formed by an inwardly bent finger 32 of an upwardly bent leg 34 of the actuating member 18. The cap 28 on the other end of the spring 26 abuts the bight portion of a wire "Ice loop that forms a leg 36 of a bell crank 38. The bell crank 38 is pivotally supported on an axis parallel to the axis extending through the ears 26 of the actuating member 18. In the preferred form, the bell crank 38 has outwardly extending cylindrical bearing projections 42 having metal collars 44 thereon as best seen in FIGURE 5, which are received in openings 46 in the sidewalls of the housing 12. The bell crank 38 includes two parallel spaced apart legs 48 which are at right angles to the leg 36. In the construction shown in the drawing, the leg 36 is formed by a looped wire which is molded within the plastic forming the parallel legs 48 of the bell crank 38.

The bell crank 38 is moved between a first position, shown in FIG. 2 which causes the actuating member 18 to close the switches 10, and a second position, shown in FIG. 1, in which the actuating member 18 is caused to move away from the switches 10 and into engagement with the abutment section 24 by an exposed, manually operated toggle lever 50. The toggle lever 50 extends through a central opening 52 of a collar 54 which is fixed to the top closed end 14 of the housing 12. The toggle lever 50 is pivoted within the collar 54 on a pin 56 that extends parallel to the axis of the bearing projections 42 of the bell crank 38. The lower end of the toggle lever 56 projects into the housing 14 adjacent the bell crank 38 and its inner end is connected to the bell crank 38 by a connecting link 58, one end of which is pinned to the inner end of the lever 50 by a pin 59 and the other end of which extends between and is pinned to the parallel legs 48 of the bell crank lever 38 by a pin 68. Movement of the top end of the lever 50, in a direction indicated by the arrow A in FIGURES 1 and 2, causes the connecting link 58 to move the bell crank 38 between the first and second positions abovedescribed. When related to a vertical panel mounting, it will be seen that a lateral movement of the toggle 50 causes a movement of the switch actuating member 18 and thus the switch buttons 16 in a direction normal to that of the toggle movement.

It will be seen that the movement of the actuating member 18 is limited by its engagement with the tops of the switches 18 in one position, and by engagement with the abutting section 24 in its other position. Stop means are also provided for the remainder of the actuating parts to limit their movement. The stop means for the bell crank 38 and toggle lever 58 in one direction of movement comprises an abutment 62 for the toggle lever 50 formed as a part of the bore of the collar 54 in which the toggle lever 50 is pinned, and an abutment 64 struck in from the housing 12 and engaged by the bell crank 38 when the structure is in the oil position (FIG. 1). The stop arrangement above-described has the advantage that force from the over-center spring 26 is applied to the toggle lever 54} when the switch is in the on position (FIG. 2), but is not applied to the toggle lever 50 when the switch is in the oil position (FIG. 1). In the on position, the toggle lever 50 is held in firm engagement with the abutment 62, while in the oil position, the toggle lever 50 can be moved slightly to take up the clearance in the pivotal connections of the connecting link 58 with the toggle lever 58 and bell crank 38. This clearance can be physically sensed by the operator and will only occur with the actuating member 18 in engagement with the stop 24, when the switches are off. The position of the actuating member 18, and therefore the condition of the switches, can be sensed by a slight play in the toggle lever 50.

The operation and advantages of the present invention can best be understood by assuming the presence of an instrument panel 66 disposed generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1. The operator moves the exposed toggle 56 in a right-left direction as indicated by the double ended arrow A. Since the toggle 50 is pivoted at 56, this movement causes the link 58 to be pushed or pulled to the right or left, opposite to the movement of the toggle 50, and in an are around the pivot point 56. Movement of link 58 rocks the bell crank 38 about the axis of the bearing shaft 42. It will now be seen that the right-left motion of the toggle 5% has been translated into an up-anddown motion in a direction perpendicular to the assumed location of the panel 66 and in a direction indicated by the second double-ended arrow B in FIG. 1. The bell crank 38, through the overcenter spring 26, causes the switch actuating member 18 to snap up and down about the center defined by the knife-edge 30. In prior art toggle switches, the switch opening and closing motion is in the same direction as the motion of the operating handle, or there is no interposed snap action mechanism so that the feel of the operating handle is loose and nonindicative of the switch condition. The present invention provides an operator for a switch or group of switches which is moved in a direction parallel to the mounting panel and has a tight, decisive feel with a fast and positive switch action.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction shown and described, and it is my intention to cover hereby all novel adaptations, modifications and arrangements thereof which come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A switch actuating structure for use with a switch block having a switch button projecting from one surface, comprising a housing having a top spaced from said one surface of said switch block and a pair of opposite sides extending between said top and switch block, an actuating blade positioned over said actuating button, said actuating blade being pivoted on an axis positioned to one side of said actuating button for rotation against and away from said button, first stop means for abutment by said actuating blade and limiting depression of said button into said block, second stop means limiting movement of said blade away from said button, a bell crank pivotally supported on an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of said actuating blade, said bell crank having first and second legs generally at right angles to each other, an over-center spring operatively connecting said first leg to said actuating blade to produce a snap movement of said blade between said first and second stop means upon movement of said bell crank between first and second positions, said first leg of said bell crank being in contacting relationship with said over-center spring, a handle pivoted between its ends on an axis parallel to said other axes and with its lower end adjacent said bell crank, and a connecting drag link pinned at one end to said lower end of said handle and pinned at its other end to said second leg of said bell crank.

2. The switch actuating structure of claim 1 which further includes third and fourth stop members for limiting the movement of said bell crank between said first and said second position.

3. The switch structure of claim 2 wherein said third stop member abuts said handle when said bell crank is in said first position and said fourth stop member abuts said bell crank when it is in said second position whereby the position of said actuating blade can be sensed by the presence or absence of slight movement of said handle.

4. A toggle switch comprising, in combination, a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least one switch actuating button on said lower surface adapted for movement normal to said lower surface, a contact member within said housing pivoted on an axis parallel to said lower surface for movement to an upper position away from said surface and switch buttons and a lower position adjacent to said surface and in actuating contact with said switch buttons, a manually operable toggle pivoted at an intermediate point to the upper surface of said housing on an axis parallel to the pivot axis of said contact member, said toggle extending generally normal to said contact member whereby pivotal movement of said toggle is in an are generally parallel to said lower surface of said housing and normal to movement of said contact member, and means within said housing operably connecting the inner end of said toggle with said contact member and effective to translate movement of said toggle end parallel to said lower surface to movement of said contact member normal to said lower surface whereby said contact member is moved to said first and second positions and said switch buttons are actuated by movements of said toggle.

.5. The toggle switch of claim 4 in which said means for translating parallel movement of said toggle to normal movement of said contact includes a pivoted member operably connected to said inner end of said toggle whereby movement of said toggle causes said pivoted member to move between a first and a second position, and an overcenter spring compressed between said pivoted member and the free end of said contact member whereby the force of said spring urges said contact member to its upper position when said pivot member is in said first position and whereby said spring force urges said contact member to its lower position when said pivot member is in said second position.

6. The toggle switch of claim 5 wherein the inner end of said toggle is connected to said pivoted member by a freely moving connecting drag link pivoted to said toggle and pivoted member on parallel axes.

7. The toggle switch of claim 5 including a first stop member secured to said housing and abutting said pivoted member when in its second position and a second stop member abutting said toggle when said pivot member is in its first position.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 1,346,485 11/1963 France.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

D. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SWITCH ACTUATING STRUCTURE FOR USE WITH A SWITCH BLOCK HAVING A SWITCH BUTTON PROJECTING FROM ONE SURFACE, COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A TOP SPACED FROM SAID ONE SURFACE OF SAID SWITCH BLOCK AND A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TOP AND SWITCH BLOCK, AN ACTUATING BLADE POSITIONED OVER SAID ACTUATING BUTTON, SAID ACTUATING BLADE BEING PIVOTED ON AN AXIS POSITIONED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID ACTUATING BUTTON FOR ROTATION AGAINST AND AWAY FROM SAID BUTTON, FIRST STOP MEANS FOR ABUTMENT BY SAID ACTUATING BLADE AND LIMITING DEPRESSION OF SAID BUTTON INTO SAID BLOCK, SECOND STOP MEANS LIMITING MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADE AWAY FROM SAID BUTTON, A BELL CRANK PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID ACTUATING BLADE, SAID BELL CRANK HAVING FIRST AND SECOND LEGS GENERALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, AN OVER-CENTER SPRING OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID FIRST LEG TO SAID ACTUATING BLADE TO PRODUCE A SNAP MOVEMENT OF SAID BALDE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND STOP MEANS UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID BELL CRANK BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, SAID FIRST LEG 